CAPRESE SALAD Serves 6 to 8 INGREDIENTS – 6 small tomatoes (or 4 medium) 1 pound fresh mozzarella 10 to 15 basil leaves olive oil to drizzle balsamic vinegar to drizzle Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper DIRECTIONS – Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and arrange with basil leaves on a large platter. Drizzle […]
Irish Coffee & Irish Mint Mojito – Perfect for St. Paddy’s Day
Saint Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to mix up one of these fabulous drinks. Of course you can enjoy them any time! I use Carolans Irish Cream and Jameson Irish Whiskey because they are safe for someone with celiac disease (gluten intolerance,) but feel free to use your favorite brands. Have fun this St. […]
HUMMUS SKULL PLATTER & PRETZEL MUMMIES…Quick & Easy Halloween Treats
Entertaining during the holidays doesn’t mean you have to go to a lot of trouble. Sure you can throw a party or host a formal dinner, which will require more time and money, or simply invite friends over for cocktails, games, and munchies. If we’re having a large number of people over I will ask […]
Jalapeno Popper Meatballs
I love serving meatballs as an appetizer, snack, main meal or of course with any type of pasta. These can be made ahead which makes them especially great for larger crowds. I prefer to bake my meatballs, which I feel makes them a bit more healthy and a lot more easy to clean up, with […]
Batty Cheese Balls
These homemade cheese ball bats are so easy to make and are a perfect appetizer for Halloween entertaining. I used my favorite cheese ball recipe for these but you can use your own recipe if you prefer. Because I make these when I entertain, I make a big batch which can feed up to 20 people […]
Today On FOX21 News…How to Freeze Summer Herbs & Veggies (AND Lots of Recipes!)
Make Your Own Frozen Veggies…Saves Money &Time…And Tastes Great! EASY SKILLET CORN Ready in 10 minutes Serves 4 for approx. $2.50 INGREDIENTS – 2 tablespoons butter 1-2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups frozen corn pinch of paprika salt and pepper to taste (I sometimes add a bit of chopped jalapeno or slice […]
Irish Cottage Pie – Feeds 4 for About $10
This is such an easy and affordable dish for a fun Saint Patrick’s day meal, or any night of the week. And all of the ingredients are things you typically have on hand or are easily found at the grocery store. You can keep this gluten free by using gluten free Worcestershire sauce and broth. […]
Corned Beef & Cabbage Sliders
CORNED BEEF & CABBAGE SLIDERS Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 8 for $ INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 head cabbage, cut into small wedges 1 bottle Guinness (or any beer, I use gluten free beer) 8 ciabatta rolls (I used GF) […]
Creme Brulee – Perfect for Valentine’s Day & Super Easy
I have been using this Creme Brulee recipe for over 20 years. It is so delicious that I quite honestly have never tried another recipe because this comes out perfect each and every time. Creme Brulee is actually easier to make than you think. It requires no special skills and it’s also very affordable. […]
Easy Super Bowl Day Snack
So excited that FOX21 News Morning Reporter, Lauren McDonald, is joining me in the kitchen again this morning. It should be lots of fun as we whip up lots of great recipes just in time for Super Bowl. Here’s what we’re cooking… PEPPERONI PIZZA POPCORN Pepperoni Pizza Popcorn BEST EVER FRIES Serves 8 for […]
Buffalo Chicken Dip – So Good You Won’t Miss the Wings
Buffalo chicken dip has been a hugely popular recipe to serve on Super Bowl Sunday for several years now. You get the great flavor of chicken wings without the mess and if you serve it with healthy options like celery and carrots, you might not feel quite so “guilty.” Last year I made and shared […]
Homemade Vegetable Soup – Hearty, Healthy, Delicious & Cheap!
When it’s chilly outside I want nothing more than a bowl of hearty soup that’s going to warm me up from the inside. I have lots of favorite soup recipes that I make time after time, including quite a few versions of vegetable soup but I wanted something new to try. I typically […]
Easy Dilled Cucumber Spears
I like cucumbers. During the summer I eat at least one cucumber a day, sometimes I’ll even eat two. They help me stay hydrated, are low in calories which makes them perfect for my mindless munching during the day, and they are inexpensive this time of year. I prefer buying mine at our local farmers […]
Grilled Peach With Goat Cheese, Microgreens & Honey Balsamic Reduction
My husband and I were at a recent event where grilled peaches were served as the salad course. They were delicious. I’ve been grilling peaches for years as a dessert but never thought to turn them into a salad so the next time we grilled some, we put our own spin on a grilled peach salad. […]
EASY SUMMER SIDES – NO COOKING REQUIRED
Today my friend Lauren McDonald, FOX21 News Morning Reporter, stopped by the house to help me whip up some easy breezy, no cooking required side dishes perfect for a summer meal. Everything tasted fabulous, looked great, and was affordable and easy! And no cooking required!! WATERMELON KIWI SANGRIA Prep Time: 10 minutes Chill […]
LEMON RISOTTO – RICH, CREAMY & BURSTING WITH FLAVOR ($10 or Less Meal)
I love making and eating risotto, which is a creamy Italian dish consisting of cooked rice, broth, and other ingredients such as vegetables, herbs, or meat. Typically I make mushroom risotto which is so hearty and warming, it’s one of my go-to cold weather one-pot meals. We recently cooked a special dinner of lobster […]
Quick Chicken Pho – As Easy As Boiling Water!
The first time I tasted pho was a year ago when we were celebrating our grandson turning 6. He wanted to see Black Panther and go to his favorite pho restaurant afterwards for his birthday treat. Here he was turning 6 and he already had his fave pho place and grandma here had never even […]
Chile-and-Citrus-Rubbed Chicken with Potatoes – Feeds 4 for $10
I have a subscription to bon appetit magazine which is one of my very favorite places to find new recipes. A lot of the recipes are more complex and expensive than what I typically share as “budget-friendly” or quick and easy meals but this month I found one that just wowed us. And even better, I was […]
Maine Corn Chowder – Feeds 8 for $12
This corn chowder is SO easy to make, takes 15 minutes to prep, serves eight for only $12 and tastes great! I found this slow cooker recipe in a new cookbook my friend gifted me with at Christmas. It’s called #SlowCooker Sunday by T-Mobile CEO John Legere, with all net proceeds from the book going to feedingamerica.com. […]
Cocoa-Nutty Lime Tart (DELICIOUS & Gluten-Free)
I was so excited to make this lime tart recipe that I ran across in my latest Good Housekeeping magazine (April 2017) because it looked delicious and it was gluten-free. I have never been that great of a baker and since being diagnosed with celiac disease I certainly haven’t been that creative when it comes […]